LDS fast


fatima
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It is good to see that our LDS brothers and sisters offered up fasting on Good Friday for the world.  My question is...what happens now?  Does the LDS church recommend fasting on a regular basis, and theologically, what is the purpose?

As a practicing Catholic, and I try to make sacrifices a regular part of life in order to detach from this world and more fully attach myself to God.  Will the LDS continue with this encouragement, do you think?

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Our general practice is to fast for two meals on the first Sunday of each month and to give as a fast offering to the church, at least the money we would have spent on those two meals. Some people will fast for a full 24 hours, but I think that two meals is the norm. Most of the time people will fast for their own personal purposes, between themselves and God, but on rare occasions, the church will call for a wider fast in response to a specific issue. The purpose of fasting is to draw nearer to God and to demonstrate to Him that we are willing to forgo the appetites of the flesh for spiritual purposes. 

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1 hour ago, askandanswer said:

Our general practice is to fast for two meals on the first Sunday of each month and to give as a fast offering to the church, at least the money we would have spent on those two meals. Some people will fast for a full 24 hours, but I think that two meals is the norm. Most of the time people will fast for their own personal purposes, between themselves and God, but on rare occasions, the church will call for a wider fast in response to a specific issue. The purpose of fasting is to draw nearer to God and to demonstrate to Him that we are willing to forgo the appetites of the flesh for spiritual purposes. 

Wow!  Hmmm....follow on question...your church does seem to ask a lot of members in terms of financial sacrifice...and I don't necessarily disagree because I think we (Catholics) are stingy with our church.  But is this monetary donation from this fast in addition to the tithing already required to receive a temple recommend?  Or is it included in that reconciling?

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15 minutes ago, fatima said:

But is this monetary donation from this fast in addition to the tithing already required to receive a temple recommend?

It is not mandatory to acquire the recommend.
 

Should someone donate an offering to be right with God? Yes.

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1 minute ago, Fether said:

It is not mandatory to acquire the recommend.
 

Should someone donate an offering to be right with God? Yes.

Just to clarify a bit (because the question itself seems a bit ambiguous):  among other things, one needs to be paying a full tithe in order to receive a temple recommend.  A fast offering would be above and beyond what one already pays in tithes—but regular fasting (and paying fast offerings) is not one of the essential conditions for receiving a temple recommend.

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30 minutes ago, fatima said:

Wow!  Hmmm....follow on question...your church does seem to ask a lot of members in terms of financial sacrifice...and I don't necessarily disagree because I think we (Catholics) are stingy with our church.  But is this monetary donation from this fast in addition to the tithing already required to receive a temple recommend?  Or is it included in that reconciling?

In addition fast offerings are different than tithes. Tithes go to the upkeep and running of the church. 100% of fast offerings go to the poor, needy and hungry.

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50 minutes ago, Midwest LDS said:

100% of fast offerings go to the poor, needy and hungry.

But note this important addendum at the end of the donation page. It’s intended for those things, but the church has full control over those funds donated.

F65F11F1-183A-4C04-9293-D3E1BF6BB30B.jpeg

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36 minutes ago, Fether said:

But note this important addendum at the end of the donation page. It’s intended for those things, but the church has full control over those funds donated.

F65F11F1-183A-4C04-9293-D3E1BF6BB30B.jpeg

I felt it necessary respond directly to this post.  During my lifetime the Church has become less of a Utah entity and more of a global entity.  Because the Church intends to be a legal organization in every country in which it resides or has citizen members - that Church must conform and be subject to many different laws and governments.  And yet, the Church is one Church under Christ.  What is stated above is in essence necessary for this one Church of Christ to operate legally throughout the world.  Some countries require that all funds collected by the church within that country's borders never are to be transferred to another country without written permission from an official within that country thus to meet all the needs of that particular country all donations are general donations to the overall mission of the Church.  But be assured that the Church goes through great length to use the funds as donated. 

 

The Traveler

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5 hours ago, fatima said:

It is good to see that our LDS brothers and sisters offered up fasting on Good Friday for the world.  My question is...what happens now?  Does the LDS church recommend fasting on a regular basis, and theologically, what is the purpose?

As a practicing Catholic, and I try to make sacrifices a regular part of life in order to detach from this world and more fully attach myself to God.  Will the LDS continue with this encouragement, do you think?

Something left out in most post of this thread is the in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - a fast is not just going with out food for a number of meals.  A critical element of a fast is the act of prayer associated directly to the fast.  Members are encouraged to begin and end their fast with sincere prayer.  Generally, my wife and I pray together to begin and end our fast.  In our prayers we partition our Father in Heaven directly concerning why we are fasting.  We believe that through fasting and prayer - we are able to (1) coordinate our will to G-d's and (2) enable blessings that are reserved until fasting and prayer brings about their release.

 

The Traveler

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31 minutes ago, Traveler said:

I felt it necessary respond directly to this post.  During my lifetime the Church has become less of a Utah entity and more of a global entity.  Because the Church intends to be a legal organization in every country in which it resides or has citizen members - that Church must conform and be subject to many different laws and governments.  And yet, the Church is one Church under Christ.  What is stated above is in essence necessary for this one Church of Christ to operate legally throughout the world.  Some countries require that all funds collected by the church within that country's borders never are to be transferred to another country without written permission from an official within that country thus to meet all the needs of that particular country all donations are general donations to the overall mission of the Church.  But be assured that the Church goes through great length to use the funds as donated. 

 

The Traveler

I appreciate this, and recognize that the LDS Church, like the Catholic Church is subject to laws.  Throughout its 2000 year history, I wonder if some events involving the CC that we see through 21st century eyes were really a result of the time and place of said event.

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25 minutes ago, Traveler said:

Something left out in most post of this thread is the in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - a fast is not just going with out food for a number of meals.  A critical element of a fast is the act of prayer associated directly to the fast.  Members are encouraged to begin and end their fast with sincere prayer.  Generally, my wife and I pray together to begin and end our fast.  In our prayers we partition our Father in Heaven directly concerning why we are fasting.  We believe that through fasting and prayer - we are able to (1) coordinate our will to G-d's and (2) enable blessings that are reserved until fasting and prayer brings about their release.

 

The Traveler

Amen!

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I noticed that the Roman Catholic Church in the USA in my neck of the woods don't have a cultural tradition of fasting and abstinence like they do in the Philippines.  In the Philippines, especially in the provinces, we still see communities observing abstinence from meat every Friday.  In the cities, the meat abstinence is still present but not as prevalent except during the 40 days of Lent.  A Fast is observed in the provinces every Good Friday, in the cities it's just the abstinence from meat.  And then there's the personal abstinence during Lent observed in the provinces but not as prevalent in the cities.  I have not seen this in my local Roman Catholic Church culture in Florida even among my friends although they continue to observe the holy days of obligation of the Holy Week.

It was wonderful to be able to do a Good Friday fast with my Catholic friends and family this year.  We were talking about it and we pledged to keep doing it every year.

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On 4/11/2020 at 11:35 AM, fatima said:

Wow!  Hmmm....follow on question...your church does seem to ask a lot of members in terms of financial sacrifice...and I don't necessarily disagree because I think we (Catholics) are stingy with our church.  But is this monetary donation from this fast in addition to the tithing already required to receive a temple recommend?  Or is it included in that reconciling?

Seems like it is, but it actually doesnt. The only required financial sacrifice is the tithing.

The others are purely donations. Like fasting offerings and missionary funds etc. Also, if you go on a mission yourself, you have to pay that out of your pocket.

 

 

Edited by Serviteur du seigneur
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1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

I noticed that the Roman Catholic Church in the USA in my neck of the woods don't have a cultural tradition of fasting and abstinence like they do in the Philippines.  In the Philippines, especially in the provinces, we still see communities observing abstinence from meat every Friday.  In the cities, the meat abstinence is still present but not as prevalent except during the 40 days of Lent.  A Fast is observed in the provinces every Good Friday, in the cities it's just the abstinence from meat.  And then there's the personal abstinence during Lent observed in the provinces but not as prevalent in the cities.  I have not seen this in my local Roman Catholic Church culture in Florida even among my friends although they continue to observe the holy days of obligation of the Holy Week.

It was wonderful to be able to do a Good Friday fast with my Catholic friends and family this year.  We were talking about it and we pledged to keep doing it every year.

This is just a tradition developed in some other countries. I learned the same as a boy, you dont ever eat meat in fridays during a period of time that lasts 40 days ending on easter.

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On 4/11/2020 at 11:21 AM, fatima said:

I appreciate this, and recognize that the LDS Church, like the Catholic Church is subject to laws.  Throughout its 2000 year history, I wonder if some events involving the CC that we see through 21st century eyes were really a result of the time and place of said event.

I traveled a great deal in my work - often to foreign countries.  I enjoy attending my Church meetings.  There is a culture that underpins the members of our church - in part because we do not have a clergy class so the Sabbath sermons are given my members - often by someone with less than a year of membership and this includes youth often as young as 12 years old.  Except for the language there are little and few differences from my home ward in Salt Lake City Utah.

I seldom attend a Catholic service but from my studies of history this kind of cross culture and language culture is rare.  There is a county in Maryland (Saint Mary) USA in the early 1600's that was settled by English speaking Catholics because there was no where in Europe that would allow them to live in peace.  Mostly because of the English separation from the Catholics that created the Church of England. 

 

The Traveler

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On 4/14/2020 at 10:57 AM, Traveler said:

I traveled a great deal in my work - often to foreign countries.  I enjoy attending my Church meetings.  There is a culture that underpins the members of our church - in part because we do not have a clergy class so the Sabbath sermons are given my members - often by someone with less than a year of membership and this includes youth often as young as 12 years old.  Except for the language there are little and few differences from my home ward in Salt Lake City Utah.

I seldom attend a Catholic service but from my studies of history this kind of cross culture and language culture is rare.  There is a county in Maryland (Saint Mary) USA in the early 1600's that was settled by English speaking Catholics because there was no where in Europe that would allow them to live in peace.  Mostly because of the English separation from the Catholics that created the Church of England. 

 

The Traveler

If I understand you correctly, that sameness throughout the wards is part of the steadiness and consistency that you like?  I would say that is true of the Catholic Church as well.  The liturgy will be the same, if the language is not, throughout the world.  And before Vatican II, the language was the same (Latin) worldwide.  Even if one didn't speak/understand Latin in day to day life, the translations were available and everyone knew what they were saying.

I lived in St. Mary's County, MD for years and the Catholic culture is still strong there.  

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